


Labyrinth

by Tabata



Series: Leoverse [60]
Category: Glee
Genre: Age Difference, Fluff, M/M, What-If
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-01
Updated: 2018-11-01
Packaged: 2019-08-14 05:50:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,143
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16487027
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tabata/pseuds/Tabata
Summary: Leo had an idea for a new book that, in some way, will be all about Cody and he needs an opinion on that. So, of course, he asks Levi, whose brutal honesty is both helpful and terrifying.





	Labyrinth

**Author's Note:**

> **WARNING:** This story is a **what if** from the original 'verse. In the canon course of events that followed the beginning of Broken Heart Syndrome, this has never happened.  
>  Specifically, this is a a sub-branch of the main canon 'verse branch (if you're familiar with the tree-structure of the many 'verses composing this saga) in which Cody and Vince's marriage ended, and Cody ended up living with Leo and Blaine. He started a proper relationship with the first with permission from the latter, who's more than just an observing part in it and, eventually, even found a boyfriend of his own, Levi. Despite having to share a boyfriend with him, Leo likes Levi a lot, and in this particular story you get to see their relationship too.
> 
> Also, this story has been written for LDF's thINKtober 2018 (8. Labyrinth)

Leo usually doesn't let anybody read what he's working on, not even Blaine. In fact, he knows very well that what's happening right now can never leave this room, because if his husband knew he has let someone else have a glimpse of his new work and not him, he would probably divorce him, which is saying something considering their current situation. But he had no other choice; he needed someone to proof-read this idea before he could develop it into a full book – but it couldn't be Mark, his agent, because he doesn't understand enough his personal story to be the right judge. Leo needed someone who knew enough but was equally somewhat detached.

Levi puts down the tablet and takes a sip from his bottle of water. He's been reading in silence for the past twenty minutes and now he seems to be reasoning on what he just read, which is fine – it's what Leo wanted – but it's also terrifying because, unlike everybody else in his life, Levi never sugarcoats anything for him. He's always gentle and he knows how to deal with him, but he's always very direct, which could be catastrophic in this case because Leo really really cares for this particular story. In fact, he can't wait for Levi's opinion one minute longer, and he just has to ask. “So? What do you think?” 

“It's good,” Levi says. “But you already know that.”

“Of course! But is it clear enough?” Leo insists, sitting so close to the edge of the couch that he's probably going to fall.

“Well, the metaphor is not that hard to get,” Levi shrugs. “It never is with you.”

Leo frowns, suddenly liking Levi a little less. It's always like this with him. The guy is perfect – and sometimes Leo hates him for that – but he can also be brutal, which makes him annoying. “You could tell me you liked it without saying I'm dumb, you know?”

Levi chuckles, always amused by Leo's ability to suddenly be mortally offended. “I have never said that,” he explains. “It's just that you never go for subtle. When you want to say something in your books, you just say it. And it's good, it's part of your style.”

Leo glares at him for the longest time as if trying to understand if he's being played or not. But then he decides that Levi must be telling the truth. “Alright,” he concedes, grumpy. “Any other thoughts?”

“I really liked how you want to give the myth a completely modern setting and transform the labyrinth into a mental condition,” Levi says, now thoughtful. “So your _Theseus_ , Lexis, which is clearly you, comes to save your _Ariadne_ , Cosmo, which would be Cody, from himself. The labyrinth being the mix of fear, paranoia, self-loathing and Stockholm syndrome Cosmo has been forced into over the years.”

“Exactly,” Leo actually smiles with pride.

“In this retelling, Theseus will give Ariadne the ball of thread to get out of the labyrinth, because she needs to do it herself. He's empowering her to win her monster,” Levi continues, approvingly. “So, I suppose the _Minotaur_ , Wade, would be... William?”

“William, yes.” Leo nods. “Do you think it's too much? Will he be upset?”

Levi struggles not to laugh. It's always incredibly amusing to him how Leo always fails to see the ways he could be really exaggerating, especially when Cody is involved. He worries that the depiction of a situation (sadly common to many people) Cody has got over ages ago could upset him, but he has no problem depicting himself as the hero in shiny armor. But he loves him for that too – they all do – because he's shameless and hopelessly honest about what he feels, always. “If there's anyone who can pull this off without upsetting Cody, that's you,” Levi says. “He would let you do anything.”

“Is this you being jealous?” Leo asks, frowning comically. “I don't like it because you're so calm and reasonable.”

Levi laughs. “I'm never jealous, you should know that by now. I leave all the jealous being to you,” he says. “I'm just being honest. He loves you. You are his sun and he would let you burn him if that's what you want.”

Leo frowns even more. “Now you're being unnecessarily poetic so it sounds dumb,” he protests.

Levi laughs again. “Yes, because I like how your face lights up when I say that he loves you and how it suddenly falls when you realize I'm mocking you with poetry,” he says, but then he smiles tenderly, before Leo can really get angry. “But it's true that he loves you and I think you did help him out back then, so you're the most qualified to tell that story.”

“Do you really think that?”

“I do,” Levi nods. “When it comes to Cody, you have all the sensitivity you lack with anyone else.”

Leo rolls his eyes and stands up. “Oh, shut up! You really are annoying!”

Levi stands up too and follows him out of his studio, so he can't get away from him and go hide sulking somewhere else. He's been in this weird four-way relationship just a little over a year, but he already knows Leo must be distracted from his own thoughts sometimes as they are dangerous and could lead to serious problems. “No, I'm not. You like me.”

“I don't,” Leo protests, outraged. The official statement is that he's _merely bearing_ Levi, but they are unofficially very good friends sharing a boyfriend.

“Yes, you do.”

“You're barely bearable,” Leo concedes as they both head downstairs. “Barely. And only sometimes.”

Levi follows him in the kitchen, knowing that he's about to be fed too much as Leo tends to cook a lot of food for him whenever he's around since he came to know he skips meals more often than not because he's too busy to eat. “Would I be a little more bearable—No, I dare say, a nice guy, if I drew some illustrations for your new book?”

Leo throws a glance at him from the refrigerator. “Keep going, I'm interested.”

Levi chuckles and sits down at the kitchen counter, explaining all the ideas that came to his mind just reading the draft of Leo's next book. He can already picture everybody's face. Damn, he could draw a whole graphic novel out of it.

At the end of every known version of the myth, Theseus leaves Crete and Ariadne behind – which would fit this story too, wouldn't it? – but Levi doesn't mention that. What he does is starting to sketch on a paper napkin as Leo cuts onions like a pro. Besides, this time Theseus came back, made a castle out of the ruin of the labyrinth and he's living there with his husband, Ariadne and her boyfriend happily ever after.

**Author's Note:**

> 


End file.
